The Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory has been chosen to host the International Conference on EXAFS and Near Edge Spectroscopy at Stanford University, July 16-20, 1984. Today, the techniques see broad application in the fields of chemistry, biology, geology, materials science, applied physics, physics and medicine. In the biological area, for example, studies have shed light on the nature of the metal sites in cytochrome oxidase and nitrogenase and on the chemical nature of metal ions as drugs and imaging agents. It is difficult to overstate the intellectual atmosphere exuberance that occurs when scientists from such diverse disciplines are using the same facility and common techniques for studying scientific problems. Recent technological advances in synchrotron radiation production have further enhanced the photon flux available for such experiments. Studies of very dilute metals in biological systems or even monolayers of atoms are now possible. In the near future, even more intense sources will open up the possibility of dynamic studies on a rapid time scale. In such a dynamically changing and now growing field, the roles of timely international conferences is a crucial one, allowing communication among scientists of many diverse disciplines.